Toy cabinet



Dec. 13, 1932. H. M. FANCHER TOY CABINET Filed April 29.- 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HVVENTOR Elma/2Z7 7' BY I 4Q; ATTORNEY Dec. 13, 1932. H, FANCHER 1,890,846

TOY CABINET 7 Filed April 29, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4- /6 a I fl Y /52 67 66/ I INVENT K 8 fiw ra fl awr & a0 6' 85 50 BY 6 86 %z5 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 13, 1932 I UN-irEn STATES PATENT! OFFICE HOWARD M. FANCHER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE ROCHESTER FOLDING BOX (30., OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK TOY CABINET Application filed April 29,

This invention relates to toy cabinets, and

against accidental collapse, but which may be readily folded into a small :compact article when desired.

Still another object is the provision of a new and greatly improved cover construction which maintains the permanency of the parts without the use of adhesive or othersecuring means, yet which enables the cover to be easlly andiquickly flattened intoa plane for storing or shipping.

A further object is the provision of a structure of this class which is simple, practical, pleasing'in appearance, and inexpensive in construction.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: 7

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a toy refrigerator constructed in accordance wlth the preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 isa side elevation of the refrigerator shown in Fig. '1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionalview taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line llof Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the blank which forms the wall structure;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the blank which forms the cover and 1932. Serial No. 608,280.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the various members comprising the refrigerator in extended relation so as to show more clearly the relation of the various parts to each other.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

The present invention is embodied in the present instance, by way of illustration, in a new and improved toy refrigerator which comprises, in general, a wall structure 11 and a tubular or cell-like supporting frame '12 positioned within the wall structure to hold the latter in erected position. These mem bers are detachable from each other and are preferably made of relatively heavy cardboard, straw board, or the like suitably scored to permitthese members to be erected and assembled to form a refrigerator of substantial dimensions, or to be detached and col-- lapsed into a small compact article suitable for storing or shipping. The top of the wall structure is closed by means of a suitable cover 13 hereafter more fully described.

The wall structure 11 is preferably made of a single piece of cardboard scored and folded on the corner lines 15 to provide a front wall 18, a back wall 19, and ends 20. Suitable supporting legs 21' are provided by notching out the bottom of the wall structure, as shown in Fig. 6. The free ends of the wall structure are secured by any suitable means, such for example, as a strip of adhesive tape 22. The scored corner lines 15 provide hinge like members which enables the wall structure to be flattened substantially into a plane when the refrigerator is collapsed, as hereafter more fully described. The exterior of the wall structure is preferably suitably colored or provided with a thin white paper covering to resemble the outer enameled surface of a modern refrigerator.

T he front wall 18 is provided with a suitable door 25 which is formed by means of top and bottom horizontal slits 26, a vertical slit 27, and a score line 28 providing a hinge joint which enables the door'to be moved to and from open position. Thedoor may also be provided with a handle or knob 29 to facilitate the opening and closing thereof.

This knob is preferably provided with prongs 30 and 31 which extend through the door 25 adjacent the slit 2?, and which are bent against the inner face of the door to secure the lrnob in position, as clearly shown in F i 5. The prong 31 is preferably longer than the prong so that when bent, as shown in Fig. 5, it extends beyond the door and is adapted to engage the rear of the front wall to provide a simple and effective means for holding the door in closed position. When, however the door is to be opened, the knob 29 is turned to move the prong 31 out of en gagement with the rear face of the front wall, after which the door may be opened. The door 25 and the adjacent portions of the front wall may be suitably decorated, as shown in Fig. 1, to represent hinges 35 and a door catch 36.

The wall structure is held in the erected position by a suitable supportingframe 12 positioned within the wall structure, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. This frame is preferably formed from a single sheet of heavy cardboard which is suitably scored and folded on the corner line to provide a tubular or cell-like member having a bottom 41, top 42, and end walls 43, the free ends of the sheet being joined by any suitable means, such for example, as a strip of adhesive tape 44,

shown in Fig. 8. The corner line 40 provides hinge joints which permit the frame, when removed from the wall structure, to be collapsed substantially into a plane for storing or shipping. It will be noted upon inspection of Fig. 8, that the wall structure 11 is arranged to be collapsed in the direction of a vertical plane, while the frame 12 is collapsible in a direction of a horizontal plane. By means of this construction, the frame 12 holds the wall structure 11 against collapse and is in turn held against collapse by the wall structure.

In addition to affording a supporting member for the wall structure, the frame 12 is also.

admirably adapted to provide one or more spaced shelves on which food or other articles may be stored, as in a regular refrigerator. To this end, the bottom 41 of the frame is positioned slightly below the bottom of the door opening to provide a bottom shelf while the top 42 is positioned substantially midway of the door opening and provides an upper shelf. The inner surface of this frame or.

shelf member 12 is preferably covered with a thin layer of white paper to resemble the inshelf, but it is preferred to provide a separate,

covering member for this purpose. This covering member comprises, in the present embodiment, a sheet 45 of white cardboard of suitable dimensions arranged to lie on the upper surface of the shelf 42 to provide the desired enameled effect. To secure the sheet 45 in position on the shelf 42 and to give the appearance of a thick upper shelf, this sheet is scored along the line 46 to provide a depending lip 47 which extends downwardly over the front edge of the shelf 42, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. This lip is preferably wider than the door opening and is held in place between the front edge of the upper shelf 42 and the front wall 18, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. p

While the shelf member 12 is of such a size as to form a snug fit within the wall structure, and to hold it square, it may tend to move downwardly below the position illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, when articles are placed on the shelves 41 and 42. To prevent such movement and to provide a support for the shelf member, the ends 20 of the wall structure are provided with tabs 50 which extend inwardly from the inner surface thereof and are arranged to engage and support the shelf memher, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. These tabs are preferably formed from the end .20 by means of vertical slits 51, a horizontal slit 52, and a score line 53, or may be similarly formed on the bacl: wall 19.

As the modern refrigerators are usually provided with a white enamel lining, it is desired to provide similarly colored lining for the inner surface of the wall structure. This may be accomplished by lining the entire inner surface of the wall structure with a smooth white glossy paper, similar to that provided on the outer surface thereof, as heretofore described. Such a paper is, however, relatively expensive, and to reduce the cost of such a lining it is desirable to provide a white lining only on the inner surfaces which are visible through the door opening 25. As the inner surfaces of the shelf member 12 and the upper surface of the shelf 42 are provided with a white covering, it is evident that the only additional surfaces to be so covered are the back 19 above the shelf 41 and the ends 20 above the shelf 42. The lining for these surfaces comprises, in the present embodiment, a T-shaped lining member formed from a sheet of cardboard having a white glossy surface. The sheet is scored and folded along the lines 61 to provide a section 62 arranged to overlie the inner surface of the back 19 above the shelf 41, and wings 63 arranged to be folded on the lines 61 to overlie the inner surfaces of the ends 20 above the shelf 42. The arrangement of this lining member is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. hen the refrigerator is to be collapsed, as hereafter described, the lining member is withdrawn and the wings 63 are flattened into the plane of the portion 62. The inner surface of the door 25 may also be provided with a white covering if desired.

The upper end of the wall structure is closed by a suitable closure member in the form-of-a cover 13 which is preferably made from a single sheet of cardboard or other similar material, scored, and folded on the lines and 71 to form a top wall 72,.side wall members 7 3, and end wall members 74. The end and side wall members are arranged to extend downwardly over the outer surfaces of the wall structure to provide means .for securing the cover 13 in position'thereon. To enable the cover to be flattened intoa plane when the refrigerator is collapsed, the present invention provides a novel cover construction which facilitates, the easy and quick erection of the cover, and which retains the various cover members in proper assembled relation without the use of adhesive or other securing means, yet permits the cover to be readily unfolded and flattened into a plane when desired.

To secure this desirable feature, each of the portions forming the side -members 73 is scored along the line 75, to provide a section 7 6 secured to the top wall 72 along the line 70, and a section 77 secured to the section 76 along the line 75, the section 76 forming the outer surface of the side member and the section 77 forming the inner surface thereof, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. The section 77 is preferably narrower than the section .76, the purpose of. which construction will be hereafter pointed'out. The sections 76 and 77 are provided with end tabs 80 and 81, respectively, which are formed by means of slits 82 in alinement with the score lines 70, slots 83 in alinement with the score lines 75, and score lines 84 which form continuations of the score lines 71, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 7. Each of the portions forming the end members 74 is scored along the lines 85 and 86 to provide sections 87, 88, and 89, the

purpose of which will be presently described.

When the cover is tobe erected, the sec-. tions 77 are first folded on the score lines 75 to overlie the sections 76, tabs 81 then overlying the tabs 80. The sections 7 6, with the overlying sections 77, are then folded on the score lines 70 so as to extend at right angles to the top wall 7 2, after which the tabs 80 and 81 are folded inwardly by reason of the score lines 84 to overlap the tabs on the opposite side wall member. As the sections 77 are narrower than the sections 7 6, the edges thereof are spaced a slight distance from the top wall 72 to provide means for holding the end members, in the manner to be presently described.

After the side members have been folded, as abov described, the sections 87 of the end members are folded on the score lines 71 to engage one face of the tabs 80. The sections 88 are then folded on the lines 85 to overlie the tabs 81, as clearly shown in Fig. 8, the tabs 80 and 81 then being securely held in place between the sections 87 and 88 of the end member, as illustrated in Fig. 3. In order to operation is reversed and the cover may be flattened into a plane suitable for storing or shipping. The cover may be given greater strength and rigidity by placing a sheet 92 of straw board within the cover in the position best shown in Figsa3 and 4. This sheet is adapted to rest on and to be supported by the wall structure, and thus strengthens the cover so 132313 objects may be placed. thereon if desire In order to collapse the refrigerator the cover 13 is first detached from the wall structure, and the sheet 92 removed therefrom, after which the cover may be unfolded along the original fold lines by a reversal of the erecting operations above described. The lining member 60 and the shelf member 12 are then removed from the wall structure by moving them upwardly relative thereto, and are subsequently flattened into a plane, as heretofore described. The wall structure is then folded on the score line 15 to form a substantially flat member.

It is apparent from the above description that the present invention provides a toy refrigerator which is simple in construction, pleasing in appearance, and inexpensiveto manufacture. This refrigerator when erected is of substantial sizeso that it affords a very pleasing and useful toy for children, yet it is so constructed that it may be easily and quickly collapsed into a small contact package suitable for storing or shipping.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive idea may be carried outin a number of ways. This application is, therefore, not to be limited to the precisedetails described, but is intended to cover all variations andmodifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A toy cabinet comprising, in combina tion, a folding wall structure, a collapsible horizontal shelf member positioned within said wall structure and serving to holdthe' latter in erected position, and means for supporting said shelf member.

2. A toy cabinet comprising, in combination, a folding wall structure, a cell-like member positioned. within said wall structureto hold. the latter in erected position and having parts thereof forming'one or more horizontal shelves, and means for supporting said III member and for retaining it in position within said wall structure.

3. A toy cabinet comprising, in combination, a folding wall structure, a folding celllike member positioned within said wall structure to hold the latter in erected position and having parts thereof forming one or more horizontal shelves, and means comprising inwardly extending tabs formed on said wall structure and arranged to engage said cell-like member to retain the latter in position within the wall structure.

4. A toy cabinet comprising, in combination, a folding wall structure, a collapsible member positioned within and retaining said wall structure in erected position and being in turn held against collapse by said wall structure, said member having parts thereof arranged to form one or more horizontal shelves, and tabs extending inwardly from said wall structure to retain said member in position therein. l

5. A toy cabinet comprising, in combination, a folding wall structure arranged to be collapsed in the direction of a substantially vertical plane, a cell-lllte member positioned within and retaining the wall structure in erected position and having a part thereof forming the bottom of said cabinet, and another part forming a shelf spaced from said bottom, said memberbeing collapsible in the direction of a substantially horizontal plane when removed from the cabinet, and inwardly extending tabs integral with said wall structure and arranged to engage said bottom to retain said member in posiiton within said wall structure.

6. A toy cabinet comprising, in combination, a. folding Wall structure collapsible about vertical axes, a horizontal shelf member detachable from said wall structure and collapsible about horizontal axes, said shelf member when positioned within the wall structure serving to hold the latter erected and being in turn held against collapse by the wall structure, and a cover for said Wall structure. 7

'Z. A toy cabinet comprising, in combina tion, a folding wall structure, a horizontal shelf member positioned within said wall structure to hold the latter in erected position, means for supporting said shelf member, and a cover for said wall structure, said cover comprising a top wall arranged to close I the upper end of said wall structure and side members extending downwardly over the outer surfaces of said wall structure to hold the cover in position thereon, certain of said side members comprising an outer portion and an inner portion overlying said outer portion, one or more of said portions having end tabs extending inwardly therefrom, others of said side members having parts thereof arranged to engage said tabs to hold said certain side members in erected position, said other side members also having parts extending' along the under side of said top wall and held in place thereon by said inner portions to retain said cover in erected position.

8. A collapsible toy cabinet comprising a folding wall structure having an opening formed in one of the walls thereof affording access to the interior of the cabinet, a closure for said opening, and a collapsible member providing a horizontal shelf supported within said wall structure and serving to hold the latter in erected position.

9. A collapsible toy cabinet comprising sheet material folded to provide a collapsible wall structure having front, rear, and side walls, a collapsible shelf member of folded cardboard supported within said wall struc ture and serving to hold the latter in erected position, and a cover for said wall structure.

10. A collapsible toy cabinet comprising sheet material folded to provide a collapsible wall structure having front, rear and side walls with an opening in said front wall to afford access to the interior thereof, a hinged closure for said opening, a collapsible shelf member of folded cardboard supported with in" said wall structure, said shelf member serving to hold said wall structure in erected position and being itself held against collapse by said wall structure, and a collapsible cover for the wall structure.

11. A toy cabinet having a cover comprising a top wall, and side members extending downwardly from said top wall, certain of said side members having parts thereof adapted to be engaged and held by others of said side members to retain said certain members in erected position, said other members having parts thereof arranged to engage portions of said certain side members independent of and spaced from said parts to retain said cover in erected position.

HOVARD M. FANCHER. 

